Havelock area peppered with snow, ice

Crews such as this one in downtown New Bern have worked hard to keep area roads passable.

Chuck Beckley/Sun Journal

By Drew C. Wilson, Halifax Media Services

Published: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 03:10 PM.

HAVELOCK — Mike McManama fled the north to get away from harsh winter weather.

“The place is starting to look like New York with all this snow and ice,” McManama said. “We need to send the snow back up north.”

A winter storm dropped anywhere from 2 to about 6 1/2 inches of snow and sleet in the Havelock area on Tuesday. The Tucker Creek area was the dividing line between snow and sleet, with areas west like Carolina Pines picking up 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 inches of snow. Central parts of Havelock were covered in about 2 inches of sleet and snow.

Conditions made driving hazardous. Craven County schools were closed along with many businesses, and Cherry Point air station was restricted to essential personnel only.

“I don’t think anyone wants to show up anywhere,” Bridgett Harrison, a clerk at the Handy Mart at Ketner Heights, said Wednesday morning before rain started to fall, melting the ice. “I didn’t want to come out of the house.”

Havelock Police Chief G. Wayne Cyrus said he did not have an exact count of how many vehicles slid off icy roads Tuesday and Wednesday, but the number was high.

“We’ve had multiple incidents of cars sliding off roadways Tuesday and Wednesday,” he said. “Thankfully we have not had any serious injuries from any of the accidents.”

HAVELOCK — Mike McManama fled the north to get away from harsh winter weather.

“The place is starting to look like New York with all this snow and ice,” McManama said. “We need to send the snow back up north.”

A winter storm dropped anywhere from 2 to about 6 1/2 inches of snow and sleet in the Havelock area on Tuesday. The Tucker Creek area was the dividing line between snow and sleet, with areas west like Carolina Pines picking up 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 inches of snow. Central parts of Havelock were covered in about 2 inches of sleet and snow.

Conditions made driving hazardous. Craven County schools were closed along with many businesses, and Cherry Point air station was restricted to essential personnel only.

“I don’t think anyone wants to show up anywhere,” Bridgett Harrison, a clerk at the Handy Mart at Ketner Heights, said Wednesday morning before rain started to fall, melting the ice. “I didn’t want to come out of the house.”

Havelock Police Chief G. Wayne Cyrus said he did not have an exact count of how many vehicles slid off icy roads Tuesday and Wednesday, but the number was high.

“We’ve had multiple incidents of cars sliding off roadways Tuesday and Wednesday,” he said. “Thankfully we have not had any serious injuries from any of the accidents.”

The Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach ferry closed Tuesday afternoon and remained closed early Wednesday afternoon. Sue Kinner, manager at the ferry, said workers had been testing the slope leading to the ferry ramp.

“It’s still too slick to be safe,” she said. “We had trouble getting back up the hill. Got about two inches of ice.”

Havelock may not be out of the snow yet. The weather service calls for a chance of some snow Thursday afternoon and evening, but little if any accumulation is expected.

The weather then begins to warm, with high temperatures over the weekend at more seasonable levels in the low to middle 50s. And there’s hope in the long-range forecast as well. March and April are expected to see above normal temperatures, according to the weather service.